Jamila Jennifer Abubakar, Assistant Professor of Political Science (PhD, MA, American University, Washington, DC; BA, Howard University, Washington, DC). Dr. Abubakar’s research interests are in the areas of human and international security, peace studies, international development and comparative politics of developing areas. Her dissertation—“The Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Internal Conflict: The Challenge of Human Security in Nigeria”—is an in-depth study that uses the human security framework to analyze the relationship among light weapons proliferation, the politics of internal regional conflicts, oil politics and economic marginalization. Her work on Nigeria demonstrates that structural inequality and embedded political marginalization are, in fact, significant contributory factors to weakened national security. Dr. Abubakar is currently working on the edited book project Conflict of Securities: Reflections on State and Human Security in Nigeria. She was a co-researcher on  the projects “The Role of Marketable Skills in Sustaining Child-Headed Households within Kabussa Community in Nigeria“ and “Vulnerbility of Children Orphaned by AIDS  under Surviving Parents/Caregivers in Abuja, Nigeria.“ Dr. Abubakar is currently reworking her dissertation for publication.

Dr. Abubakar has traveled widely and previously worked as a journalist. She also worked as a consultant electoral observer for the United Nations Mission in South Africa (UNOMSA) in 1994, and has expertise with NGO management, participatory and people-centered methods, grassroots nonprofit organizations and social entrepreneurship. She has worked with NGOs on education of the girl-child, gender empowerment, social development and increased women’s economic and political participation in government and politics. She has advised and supported various non-profit organizations and government agencies on the implementation of development programs that address the issues of HIV/AIDS and economic needs of marginalized groups in Nigeria.

She is a member of the board of trustees of American University of Nigeria in Yola, Nigeria. She has given lectures on light arms proliferation and civil conflict. Her research article has appeared in Journal of Africa Development.

Pia-Kristina Anderson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology. (PhD, MA, BA, University of California at Berkeley; MA, BA, University of Cambridge) Dr. Anderson has extensive archaeological fieldwork experience in various regions, including Egypt, Hawaii, American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Guam, New Guinea, Australia, France, Spain, Kazakhstan, Greece, Ireland, Scotland and the continental United States. Dr. Anderson’s theoretical interests include anthropological history, culture contact and the development of complex societies. She held a postdoctoral scholarship from the Archaeological Research Facility of the University of California at Berkeley. She has taught at both the American University in Cairo and at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Pernille Arenfeldt, Assistant Professor of History (PhD, European University Institute, Florence, Italy; MA, BA, Copenhagen University, Denmark). Dr. Arenfeldt’s research focuses on gender and politics in early modern Europe, particularly on the ways in which the analytical category of gender can facilitate a re-conceptualization of early modern politics. Her doctoral dissertation explores the ways in which princely women participated in dynastic politics and the government of the principalities. Dr. Arenfeldt has presented conference papers and published articles on subjects related to gender. She is currently reworking her dissertation for publication. She co-edited (with Regina Schulte, et al.) the essay collection titled The Body of the Queen. Gender and Rule in the Courtly World, 1500-2000 (Berghahn Books, 2006; German edition by Campus Verlag, 2002). Dr. Arenfeldt’s work is interdisciplinary and draws extensively on sociological and anthropological methodologies. Prior to coming to AUS, she has studied/conducted research in the United States and several European countries and taught at the University of East Anglia in United Kingdom. Dr. Arenfeldt also has a passionate interest in equestrian sport (particularly the art of dressage).

Mark Aveyard, Assistant Professor of Psychology (PhD in 2007, Florida State University; MS, Florida State; BA, University of Nebraska).  My research focuses on how the body shapes the way humans use and comprehend language. As an undergraduate I was struck by the power of experimental design in the social sciences (it's all about causation!), and I was determined to employ those methods in studying literary language such as poetry.  In graduate school, I worked in a lab at the forefront of a fairly new movement in cognitive science known as embodiment, which blurs the supposedly clear line between mind and body.  For those new to psychology in this age of iPods, I highly recommend Daniel Robinson's audio series, Great Ideas of Psychology, through The Teaching Company (www.teach12.com).  For the more cinematically-oriented, try the film Memento---a portrayal of a man who loses what we often take for granted in our cognitive experience.

Isa Blumi, Assistant Professor of History, Georgia State University; and Visiting Adjunct Professor of History (since 2006). (PhD, New York University; MA, BA, New School University). Dr. Blumi publishes on issues pertaining to
migration, ethnicity, nationalism and state formation. He has forthcoming two new books, Redefining Balkan Nationalism (London: I.B. Tauris) and The Consequences of Empire: Reading Possibilities in Late Ottoman Yemen and Albania (New York: Oxford University Press). A former fellow in the SSRC IDRF, Fulbright-Hayes, ACLS and CAORC programs, he has published widely in journals such as IJMES, EEPS, Current History, JAS as well as written a book entitled Rethinking the Late Ottoman Empire: A Comparative Social and Political History of Albania and Yemen, 1878-1918 (Istanbul: ISIS, 2003). Dr. Blumi is married to Dardane Arifaj (MPH, Boston University).

Thomas DeGeorges, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Gulf Studies (PhD, Harvard University; BA, Brooklyn College (CUNY)).  Dr. DeGeorges’ interests include modern Middle East history, North Africa, colonial history, and modern Europe.  His research focuses on understanding how colonial and post-colonial governments shaped social policy towards military veterans in North Africa.  His doctoral research involved Tunisian colonial veterans and he recently completed a post-doctoral scholarship in Algeria working on a comparative project involving social policy directed towards Algerian colonial veterans and Algerian moujahidine.  Dr. DeGeorges is currently preparing one article for publication on Tunisian veterans, as well as a conference paper on May 8, 1945 (Victory in Europe day) seen from an Algerian perspective for the upcoming MESA conference.  He also enjoys exploring the urban fabric of North African cities, such as Tunis, Tangier, Marrakesh, and Algiers and has spent countless hours in each city appreciating their unique architectural aspects. He is faculty advisor for INSA (International Studies Student Association).

Richard Gassan, Assistant Professor of History. (PhD, MA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst; MA, BS, Ohio University). Dr. Gassan’s research interests focus on tourism as a social phenomenon, the creation and manifestations of consumer culture, and the cultural impact of consumerism— with a particular emphasis on how these forces shaped American culture before the Civil War. These are reflected in Richard’s first book, The Birth of American Tourism: New York, the Hudson Valley, and American Culture, 1790–1830 ( Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, forthcoming), and will be carried on in his next book, The Railroad Tourist: Tourism in America Before the Civil War, 1830–1860. He has published articles in Book History and the Journal of Social History, and wrote the general essay on tourism for The Encyclopedia of New York State. Among his many passions are a love for bicycling, Scottish indie-rock bands and movies of all types. Prior to coming to AUS, he taught at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Smith College, Western New England College and several other institutions in western Massachusetts.

Meenaz Kassam, Assistant Professor of Sociology (PhD, MA, BA, University of Toronto). Her books include Grass Roots NGOs by Women for Women: The Driving Force of Development in India (with Handy, F, Feeney. S, Ranade, B.) Sage Publications, 2006 and From Sewa to Cyberspace: The Changing Face of Volunteerism in India (with Handy, F., Ranade, B.) Sage Publications, forthcoming. Her articles have appeared in Journal of Community Practice, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Journal of Women’s Studies, Social Development Issues, the Chinmaya Management Journal and the Canadian Journal of Sociology.  Her article received Honorable Mention for Outstanding Published Article in the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and, more recently, the 2007 Marie Weil Award for Best Published Article in the Journal of Community Practice and Haworth Press. She was invited guest speaker at York University, Toronto, University of Pennsylvania, and SNDT College, Mumbai. She was invited Plenary Speaker at the 2004 International Society on Third Sector Research (ISTR) conference in Toronto. Dr. Kassam’s area of expertise is the nonprofit sector. She is on the Board of Directors of Aseema whose mandate is to promote and protect the rights of underprivileged children and women. Before coming to the AUS she taught at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include nonprofit entrepreneurship, volunteerism and women’s empowerment. Her teaching interests include various topics related to environmental issues, the sociology of human behavior and sociological theory.

Stephen L. Keck, Associate Professor of History and Head of the Department of International Studies (DPhil, University of Oxford; MDiv, BA, Yale University). Dr. Keck believes international education will not only improve the chances for global peace and prosperity, but should also make possible the reconceptualization of academic boundaries. Redefining academic paradigms should make the production of new and hopefully better knowledge a reality for universities in the 21st century. 

Dr. Keck’s scholarship explores modern British intellectual and cultural history, historiography, public history, the study of heritage, European imperialism and the fate of religions in the modern world. His articles have appeared in a wide number of publications and reflect his research, which is presently focused on three major themes in British cultural and intellectual history. He is finishing a manuscript entitled Sir Arthur Helps and the Making of Victorianism, which aims to recover Arthur Helps (a major mid-19th century figure who wrote widely-read literature, studied the Atlantic Slave Trade and directly served Queen Victoria) from neglect. A second theme concerns the thought of John Ruskin, who was Victorian Britain’s most penetrating cultural critic. 

Dr. Keck is drawing upon the history of art and architecture to exhibit the ways in which Ruskin’s understanding of Venice made him a significant public historian. Finally, he is working on the history of colonial Burma by studying British writing about the subject, concentrating on the period 1885 to 1914. To that end, he is in the process of investigating the ways in which the British understood Islam in colonial Burma.  Ultimately, he seeks to develop the first monograph devoted to that period in the now nearly closed nation’s history.  He has taught widely, offering courses in Western and World history, and more specialized subjects such as 19th century Europe, European intellectual history, British India, Modern France and Algeria, Imperialism and historiography.

Before coming to AUS, Dr. Keck taught at the College of Charleston and the National University of Singapore. During the summer of 2006 Dr. Keck worked in Yangon, Myanmar as part of a team that taught courses aimed at stimulating critical thinking.

Anatoliy Kharkhurin, Assistant Professor of Psychology. (PhD, City University of New York; MA, University of Amsterdam; MA, BA, University of Nijmegen). Dr. Kharkhurin’s research focuses mainly on bilingualism and cognition. His initial research sought after the influence of bilingualism on creative abilities and grew directly out of his experiences in creative writing. This work was supported by a National Science Foundation research grant. He also has a line of research examining the influence of native language phonology on reading in foreign language speakers. Most recently, Dr. Kharkhurin has started research on the influence of cross-cultural experience on conceptual changes in bilinguals and their cross-linguistic unconscious associations. Dr. Kharkhurin’s articles have appeared in Cognitive Aspects of Bilingualism (Berlin: Springer Verlag) and the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. He has written the entries on the Turing test and the Turing machine for the Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology (forthcoming) and the general essay on gifted bilinguals for the Encyclopedia of Giftedness, Creativity and Talent (SAGA Publications, forthcoming). In addition to his scientific interests, he is a published poet. Before coming to AUS, he taught in the Psychology Department at the Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. More information about Dr. Kharkhurin’s research can be found on his personal website: http://www.TovyHarhur.com/research/.

David Lea, Professor of Philosophy. (PhD, LlB, University of Ottawa; MA, McGill University; BA, College of the Holy Cross). Dr. Lea’s principal field is applied philosophy with interests in the philosophical foundations of property rights and business ethics. He is currently writing a book on intellectual property rights that features a comparison to issues in aboriginal entitlement. He has interests in the history of philosophy and has been a long-standing member of the International Society for Neoplatonic Studies, publishing some of his work in this area in the History of European Ideas and The European Legacy. David has published in the Business Ethics Quarterly, the Journal of Applied Philosophy, Business Ethics: A European Review and the Pacific Economic Bulletin. He wrote a summary of Melanesian philosophy in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy and a book, An Introduction to the Ethics of Business and Development in Contemporary Melanesia ( Port Moresby: UPNG Press, 2001). Before coming to AUS, he taught at the University of Papua New Guinea and served as acting dean of humanities there.

Nada Mourtada-Sabbah, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies. Dr. Mourtada-Sabbah served as the Chair of the Department of International Studies until 2007 and is currently the Assistant to the Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs. She received her BA with distinction from the American University of Beirut where she was the recipient of the Penrose Award (1991), and her PhD in Public Law with distinction from the University of Paris II (1997), where she is a Faculty and Research Associate with the Thucydides Center for Research and Analysis in International Relations. She was also recently appointed a Faculty Fellow in the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University (Washington, DC). Her books include Le Privilège de l’Exécutif aux Etats-Unis, Les Tribunaux Militaires aux Etats-Unis and Is War a Political Question (with Louis Fisher). Her articles have appeared in the Revue du Droit Public et de la Science Politique en France et à l’Etranger, the Journal of Church and State, the Revue Internationale de Droit Comparé, the Annuaire Français de Relations Internationales, Public Integrity, Questions Internationales, White House Studies, the Harvard Middle Eastern and Islamic Review, Maghreb Mashrek and the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies among others. She co-edited Globalization and the Gulf (UK: Routledge, 2006) and The Supreme Court of the United States and the Political Question Doctrine (Berkeley Public Policy Press and Lexington Books, Rowman and Littlefield, 2006). Dr. Mourtada-Sabbah is a member of the scientific board of the French journal Politique Américaine and serves on the editorial boards of the Annuaire Français de Relations Internationales and Maghreb Mashrek. She also serves as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Social Affairs, the peer reviewed quarterly journal of the American University of Sharjah and the Sociological Association of the UAE, for which she initiated the English-language section. Dr. Mourtada-Sabbah has held visiting appointments at the University of California at Berkeley (Institute of Governmental Studies), the Congressional Research Service (Library of Congress), the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (Department of Political Science), and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). She was an invited guest speaker at Georgetown University (the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies), Johns Hopkins University (the School of Advanced International Studies), the University of California at Berkeley (the Center for Middle Eastern Studies), the French Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), the Stanley Foundation and the Center for Strategic Studies (Washington, DC). Dr. Mourtada-Sabbah was elected President of the Faculty Senate of the American University of Sharjah for the term 2003–2004. She is the recipient of the AUS Excellence in Teaching Award (2001–2002) and the AUS Excellence in Service Award (2002–2003).

Office:	P232
Ext:	2576
E-mail:	npartrick

Neil Partrick, Assistant Professor of Political Science (PhD, London School of Economics, University of London; MA, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; BA (Hons) London Metropolitan University). From 2007–2008, Dr. Partrick was senior analyst (Gulf Arab states) with the International Crisis Group before becoming an adjunct professor at AUS in the 2008 spring semester. He primarily publishes on Middle East politics. From 2002–2007 he was Senior Analyst/Editor with the Economist Intelligence Unit in London, where he edited and authored publications on Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and the Palestinian Territories, and was a regular broadcast commentator on the Middle East. From 1998–2002, Dr. Partrick headed the Middle East and North Africa Program at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, where his published research/conference papers and media commentary concentrated on Gulf security and the Middle East Peace Process. Between 1995 and 1998, he worked as a researcher on foreign policy and domestic issues in the British Parliament. From 1993 to 1995, Dr. Partrick worked as an editor and researcher in Jerusalem with Panorama, a Palestinian research center. Among his research papers and publications are “Gulf Security – Challenges for the New Generation”, for which he was a contributing editor (RUSI Whitehall Paper No.51, 2001); “The United States, Europe and the Security of the Gulf,” The RUSI Journal, April 2000; “Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Threat to the Gulf,” The RUSI Journal, November 2000; and “Democracy Under Limited Autonomy,” his analysis of the impact of the Peace Process on Palestinian political development  (Panorama, Jerusalem, 1994). He is currently writing a research paper on nationalism in the Gulf Arab states for the London School of Economics.

James N. Sater, Assistant Professor (PhD, Middle East Politics, and MA, Middle East Studies, University of Durham, UK). Before joining AUS, Dr. Sater briefly worked for the German development agency GTZ. From 2005 to 2008, he was Assistant Professor for Middle East and North African Politics at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco. He has worked on state-civil society relations in the Maghreb, women’s rights movements and parliamentarians, political parties, public opinion and the process of democratization. He previously conducted research on Bahrain, Kuwait and the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is the author of Civil Society and Political Change in Morocco (Abingdon and New York, Routledge, 2007), and has contributed articles to Democratization, the Journal of North African Studies and Mediterranean Politics. He also contributed to online debates on the Western Sahara conflict organized by the Washington- based Middle East Institute. He is currently working on his second book, Morocco: Challenges to Tradition and Modernity (Abingdon and New York, Routledge, 2009).  

Mercedes Sheen, Assistant Professor of Psychology (PhD University of Canterbury, New Zealand, BSc Open University, UK). Dr. Sheen’s interests and research focus has been primarily on the errors people make in remembering their past. Specifically how the introduction of misinformation can lead the rememberer to incorporate the misinformation and report it as part of the original memory. This is area of work is particularly relevant with regard to eyewitness testimony and how easy it is to manipulate witnesses of crimes in the real world. Dr. Sheen's work has been published in a number of journals including: Memory & Cognition, Applied Cognitive Psychology, Genes, Brain and Behavior, and the Journal of Applied Psychology. Additionally, Dr. Sheen has also worked as an industrial organizational psychologist working on a consultant basis. This work involves applying psychological principles in the workplace, including employee motivation, satisfaction and the use of psychometric tests for selection and placement. Dr. Sheen is married and has a one-year-old son.

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Office: P225
E-mail: tsimon@aus.edu

Thomas W. Simon, Faculty Fellow, International Studies (PhD, Washington University; JD, University of Illinois). Dr. Simon regularly teaches philosophy at Illinois State University. As a Fulbright Scholar, he taught law at the University of Malaya, the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the University of Prishtina, Kosovo. He held the Distinguished Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Northern Colorado as well as helped to establish an English-speaking Japanese university, Miyazaki International College. His awards include a Liberal Arts Fellowship at Harvard Law School.  His research focuses on global injustices and on minority issues. In addition to over 40 articles, his publications include Democracy and Social Injustice (1995), Law & Philosophy (2000) and Laws of Genocide (2007).
 
He founded and edited Injustice Studies, an electronic journal. He regularly consults for the United Nations Working Group on Minorities and the American Bar Association Central/Eastern European Law Initiative. He served on a drafting committee for Albania’s new constitution. As a practicing attorney, he has represented a Diaspora Rwandan group in an extradition case to the Ad Hoc War Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda and has served locally as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for child abuse cases. He has received awards for teaching excellence from the University of Florida and the University of Illinois.